Apparatus for recovering practice torpedoes



C. B. BROWN ETAL APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING PRACTICE TORPEDOES June 16, 1953 6 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1949 awe/whoa '0. 8. BROWN EFGOX RMacHENRY EFl/VKLE June 16, 1953 C. B. BROWN ET AL APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING PRACTICE TORPEDOES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 24, 1949 0. B. mow/v ETECOX R MacHE/Vl? Y E. FIN/{LE c. B. BROWN ET AL 2,641,780

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING PRACTICE TORPEDOES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 16, 1953 Filed Jan. 24, 1949 \llllllllhllllllll A/Y Mun 6. 5. BROWN R. MGLHE/VRY C. B. BROWN ET AL APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING PRACTICE TORPEDOES June 16, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 24, 1949 0. B. BROWN E. E 00X RMGCHE/VRY EFl/V/(LE June 16, 1953 g. B. BROWN ETAL 2,641,730

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING PRACTICE ,TORPEDOES Filed Jan. 24, 1949 6 Shis-Shet e 62 8. BROWN R. MacHE/VRY 33, E F lN/(LE Patented June 16, 1953 Tm o'rrlca APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING'PRACTICE TORPEDOES Charles B. Brown, Washington, D. C., Everett E Cox, Albuquerque, N. Mex., Richard MacHenry,

Prospect Park, Pa., and

'ton,.l). 0.

Earl Finkle, Washing- :Appli'c'ation January 24, 1949, SerialjNo. 72,462

6 Claims.

Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

see. 265) (Granted under This, invention relates generally to an appara- V tusior retrieving practice torpedoes of the sinker type and :more particularly to apparatus of this character for recovering, without the use of a diver, practice torpedoes which have come to rest on the bed of abody of water at the end of a practice run.

A sinker type torpedo may be defined herein as alpractice torpeda having negative buoyancy and which sinks to the bed of abcdy of waterat the end of apractice1run.

Several deviceshave been heretofore employed to recover practice torpedoes which have sunk to the bottom but they have not proved to be entirely satisfactory under all conditions of service.

One priorart method employed a stream-lined float which was towed through the water by a hoisting cable attached to the extreme aft end of the torpedo. Frequent failure in the use of this method was caused by twist-breaking of the tow line during the practice run.

Another recovery apparatus heretofore deviced for a torpedo employed a fioathaving a length of line attached to the torpedowhich was initially enclosed Within the handhole of the torpedo by a handhole cover. The cover has a control surface thereon which 'is .so constructed that the Lkinetic pressure of the water on the control surface during the forward motion of the torpedo recovery device retains all of the advantages of the prior recovery devices of this general type and possesses none of the foregoing disadvantages. More specifically, the present invention according to the new and improved recovery apparatus thereof provides an arrangement in which a marker float is released'from thetorpedo in predetermined time delayed relation to the launching of 'the torpedo within the water sufficient to release the float therefrom an interval 2 of the water without the use of a diver. According to a corollary feature Of the .present invention, the foregoing recovery operations are facilitated by the provision of a novel method and apparatus for faking the float line within the handhole of the torpedo.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a new apparatus for recovering a practice torpedo without the use of a diver after the torpedo has sunk to the bed of abody of "water at the end of a practice run.

Another object is the provision of anew apparatus for making manifest on the surface of a body of water the location of arpractice torpedo which hassunk to the bottom thereof.

Still another object .is to provide a new and improved latch for lockingthe cover of theh'andhole of a torpe'do .until after the torpedo hascome 'to rest on the bed 'ofabody of water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new apparatus 'for stowing along length of a float line in the handh'ole of a'torped'o in such a manner that the line will pay out without becoming fouled as the float attached thereto rises from the torpedo to the surface of the water.

Still another object is the provision of a new and improved latch means which may be employed without the use of a diver to "attach a hoisting cable to a torpedo which is resting on the bed of a body of water.

Still a further object is to provide a time delayed latch release means for atorpedo handh'ole cover "which may be operated by a retriever crew within the time interval measured by the release means to lock the cover and thereby render the latch release means ineffective to release the float and line therefrom when the torpedo fails after the torpedo has come to rest on the bed 7 of a body of Water. A line v interconnecting the float and torpedo, is employed to guide a latch body thereon to attach the jlatch body to a latch keeper secured to the torpedo. A hoisting cable secured to "the latch body and lowered'therewith is employed to raise the torpedo to the "surface recovery apparatus of the present invention a rranged within the handhole of the torpedo;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the torpedo handh'ole cover with certain parts broken away illustrating the various parts of the cover latch when in the position for inserting the time delay pellet therein, this also being the position of the latch to which it "is moved in the case of a torpedo which is found to be positively buoyant at the end of a practice run;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the torpedo handhole cover illustrating the position of the various parts of the cover latch as they appear at the time of launching the torpedo on the practice run;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the faking tool a for installing the float line in the handhole inthe bed of a body of water;

Fig. 13 illustrates the retrieving boat about to recover the marker buoy;

Fig. 14 illustrates the latch body being lowered on the buoy line; and

Fig. 15 illustrates the torpedo being raised to the surface of the water.

Referring now to the drawings on which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown thereon a torpedo l I having a handhole' lo formed therein which is adapted to receive the handhole insert The generally designated by the numeral [2. handhole insert 12 comprises a tube I3 having a closed bottom portion M, a flanged portion I6 disposed about the open end of the tube and a tubular collar l secured within the wall of the tube.

ll arranged between the flange l6 and the. torpedo casing to insure a watertight seal therebetween as the screws are tightened.

, Hinge pin 42 is fitted within transverse bores provided within the pair of upstanding portions 41 formedon flange [6 with set screws 43 securing thehinge pin to portions M as shown. A

Torsion spring 41, sleeved about hinge pin 42 and engaged on one end thereof with the cover and on the other end with flange I6, urges the cover 44 to the open position.

Cover latch 49 is rotatably mounted on latch pin 50 which is pivotally secured to cover 44 and arranged perpendicularly thereto, the cover latch being arranged for limited movement within slotted portion 48 formed in cover 44. Cam plate 51 fixedly secured to latch pin 50 as by swaging the pin to the plate, is limitedly rotatable therewith on the cover, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

Cover latch 49 is provided with a lip 52 which may be rotated into and out of engagement with the keeper slot 53 formed on flange 15. Cover latch .49 is provided with a pellet receiving and Flange, portion I6 is secured within the handhole it by screws l8 with a circular gasket 4 formed on cover latch 49, is secured at the other end to stud 59 carried by cam plate 5|.

Stud 59 is provided with a cylindrical portion H which extends below the cam. plate 5| and movable within slotted portion 58 of cover 44 as the cam plate rotates about pivot 59. Hole 60, through cam plate 5!, forms an opening to limit the amount of surface of the soluble pellet 3i exposed to the action of the surrounding water when the torpedo sinks to the bottom, the cam plate being in overlying position with respect to the pellet when the torpedo is launched.

Pivotally secured to cover 44 by lock pin BI is latch lock 62 which is arranged in the path of travel of cylindrical portion 11 and formed with a'hooked end 55 which engages lock keeper 63 formedon cover latch 49 when cylindrical portion 17 cams the latch lock 52 to bring end 55 into engagement with lock keeper 63 as cam plate 51 i rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2. As the cam plate 5| is rotated clockwiseabout latch pin 50, cylindrical portion Tl cams latch lock. 62' clockwise about pin 6| to disengage hooked end 55 from lock keeper 63, as shown in Fig. 3.

With soluble pellet 3| disposed within the the pellet socket formed by surface 54 and pellet recess 56, lip 52 is held by the pellet in looking engagement with keeper slot 53 against the force of spring 58 when cam plate 5| is rotated to the position shown in Fig. '3, in which position surface 54 of the cover latch bears yieldably against the pellet whereby the cover latch 49 is caused to move to the left in slot 48 under force of spring 58 as the pellet dissolves, thereby to move lip 52 out of engagement with keeper 53 and thus unlock cover 4 4.

Secured to the bottom portion 14 in any well known manner such, for example, as by welding, brazing, or the like, is an eye [9 for attaching a rope 20 preferably formed of sturdy expansible fabric such as nylon.

Rope 20 is threaded through transverse bore 22 in spear 2| and thenc through eye IS, the rope being secured to. these parts a by joining the ends of the rope together. The rope has a length sufficient to cause the spear to emerge from the tube 13 when the spear is moved outwardly of the tube. Spear 2| has an additional transverse bore 25 therein through which a buoy line 24 is threaded and secured to the spear as by a knot in the line at 26. Spear 2| is provided with a head 28 forming a shoulder 29 thereon.

A circular wafer 35 rests on the shoulder formed by collar l5 and buoy line 24 is faked thereabove in such a manner that the line will freely pay out without becoming fouled, this preferably being accomplished in the use of the faking tool hereinafter to be described.

The buoy line 24 is of sufiicient length to reach from the deepest point on th bed of the practice range to the surface of the water, the free end of the line being secured to eye 36 formed on,

described preferred manner within the tube IS. 'A cylindrical handle 23 is provided with a stop pin 34 arranged transversely thereon and a plunger 2? secured to the endv of the handle by dowel pin 32. A cylindrical metallic collar 33 slidably mounted on handle 23, is provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged metallic pins 39, preferably 20 in number, which extend from one face of the collar parallel with thehandle. The pins 39 are fixedly secured at right angles to this face of collar 33 and a pair of hand grips 31 are secured to the other face of the collar as by soldering the parts thereto. Pins 39 are slidably arranged within suitably arranged parallel bores provided therefor throughplungeril; r r r 7 To arrange buoy line 24 on the faking tool, the plunger 2'! is first moved into engagement with collar 33 and the line. is loosely tied to one of the hand grips 31. The line is now loosely brought around the collar to provide sufficient slack to subsequently secure the buoy thereto and passed between any two adjacent pins such as pins a and b in Fi 7, thence around a pin spaced three pins from pinv a, thence back to and around pin 1), thence back and forth around pins increasingly spaced respectively from pins 1) and 0 until the line passes around a pin 6 which is spaced three pins from pin f around which the line was just previously passed, thereby to form the first layer of line subsequently to be faked in the handhole.

In a similar manner, the second layer is applied as indicated in Fig. 8, the loop-ed strands of the line in this case, however, extending at right angles to the strands of the first layer to which end the adjacent pins g and h are selected to start the second layer from whence the line first is passed to and around pin 2' which is spaced three pins from pin h.

Fig. 9 illustrates the completed second layer and illustrates the manner of starting the third layer as at pins e and 1 whereby the strands of the third layer are threaded about the pins parallel to the strands of the first layer but wound on the pins from thebottom to the topmost pins as viewed in Fig. 9. In like manner, succeeding layers are wound on the pins at right angles to the layers adjacent thereto until the line has been fully wound on the pins.

The free end of line 2!; is now tied to the spear 21 after which the loaded faking tool is inserted within tube E3 on top of wafer 35, plunger 21 and collar 3'3 being of a diameter to readily admit the faking tool within tube i3. Collar 33 and the pins secured thereto are now pulled rearwardly by hand grips 3'! until the collar moves into engagement with stop bar 34, thereby to withdraw the pins from the faked line and leave the line faked within tube 13 as shown in Fig. l.

The end of the line secured to the hand grip Elis now untied therefrom and tied to the eye 36 at the bottom of the buoy 3B which thereafter is placed within the tube on top of the faked line. 7

Cover 44 is now closed and the pellet inserted as disclosed in Fig. 2. The specific manner in which this is accomplished is described as follows. It willbe recalled that when the cover 54 is open, the cover latch 49 is urged to the left in slot 48 by'spring 58 and cam plate is in the position of Fig. 3 wherein it overlies the pellet pocket. With the parts in the cover open position, the cam plate cannot be moved to the position of Fig. 2 until the cover latchis first moved to the right 6 in slot 48, in which position of the cover latch the lock keeper 63 therein is in position to receive the. hooked end of the latch 100x62.

Thus, upon closing the cover 44, lip 52 is first moved into locking engagement with keeper slot 53 and cam plate 5! thereafter is rotated counterclockwise about pin 50 to the position of Fig. 2 wherein the parts of the cover are locked in position to receive the pellet 3| within the pocket provided therefor by reason of the cover latch being locked in the cover locking position thereof by the coact-ion between parts 55 and 63. Thus, an arrangement is provided for positively looking the cover without using the washer as during transit or storage of the torpedo, or recovery of a positively buoyant practice torpedo, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

The pellet 3 I is now inserted in the pocket and the cam plate is rotated clockwise to the position of Fig. 3 wherein the latch cover is maintained in cover locking position by the pellet 3i against the opposing force of spring 58. The torpedo is now in readiness for launching thereof on the torpedo range.

After the torpedo is launched and sinks below the surface at the end of the practice run, water enters bore 69 and slowly dissolves pellet 3| after a predetermined interval to free cover latch d9 which concurrently with the dissolving of the pellet is rotated by spring 58 counterclockwise about latch pin 56 to disengage lip 52 from keeper slot 53 thereby to unlock the cover whereby torsion spring 4? moves cover M to the open position to allow buoy 36 to float to the surface of the water as shown in Fig. 12, thereby to mark the location of the torpedo on the bed thereof.

The device employed for raising the torpedo to the surface of the water is shown in Figs. 10 and 11 and comprises a hoisting cable f5 having a latch body 64 secured at one end thereof, these parts being carried by the retrieving boat 78 shown in Figs. l3, l4; and 15.

The cylindrical latch body 64 is provided with an axial bore 65 therethrough which terminates in a concentric recess 66 at the bottom end thereof, the recess being adapted to receive the head 23 of the spear 2|. A pair of diametrically positioned pawls 67 are rotatably mounted within a pair of slots 19 provided therefor and are rotatably mounted on pawl pins (58 which are s cured by cotter pins 72 m a pair of transverse bores 69 through the latch body 84. The pawls 6'! are provided with lips 73 disposed within recess 66 and are adapted to grip the shoulder 29 of the spear 2|. A pair of diametrically di posed bores 74, each bore extending downwardly through the top and outwardly through the sides of the latch body 64 are provided for receiving the hoisting cable 75 therein which is threaded downwardly through one hole, looped half way around the body and up through the other here where the cable is clamped together in order to cause the latch body 54 to' hang vertically when supported by the hoisting cable.

Each of pawls 6'! is provided with a tension spring H which urges the pawls into engagement with shoulder 82 by securing one end of each spring ll to its respective stud 33,, the other ends of the springs being secured within bores 84 provided therefor in pawls 8?, as shown in Fig. 10.

When the buoy is picked up by the retriever boat, it is removed from line 25 and the latch body 6:; is threaded on the line by passing the line through axial bore 65 in the body, the line being pulled sufliciently tight to pull spear 2| out of the insert l2 and held taut whereby the latch body is caused to move therealong, as shown in Fig. 14, into engagement with the spear.

The latch body 64 is secured to spear 2| as head 23 moves past lips 13 to cause pawls 51 to rotate outwardly on pins 68 against the force of springs H until lips 13 grip shoulder 29 of the spear. With the latch body locked to the spear, a continuous hoisting line comprising cable l and rope is provided for hoisting the torpedo from the bottom as shown in Fig. 15.

Should the torpedo complete the practice run with positive buoyancy and before the pellet 3! has dissolved, a member of the retriever boat crew may attach a hoisting cable to the torpedo nose ring and rotate the cam plate 5! counterclockwise about pin 50 to position the cover latch to the handling position as in Fig. 2 thereby to prevent the cover M from opening and releasing the float 38.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without payment of any royalties there on or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In torpedo recovery apparatus of the character disclosed comprising, a housing for enclosing a marker buoy and having an opening for releasing the buoy therefrom, a cover hingedly supported on said housing for closing said opening, said cover having a face, spring means operatively connecting the cover and housing for urging said cover to open position, a first latch member pivotally supported on said cover about an axis generally perpendicular thereto for pivotal movement thereon parallel to the face thereof, a first coacting latch means mounted on said housing for locking the cover in closed position when the latch member is moved from a cover releasing position to a cover looking position while the cover is in closed positaining said first latch member in said cover a locking position thereof when the second latch member is moved from a position for releasing the first latch member to a position for locking the first latch member, a plate member supported on said cover for pivotal movement thereon about the pivot axis of said first latch member, coacting cam means mounted on said plate member for engaging and moving the second latch member between said positions thereof for respectively locking and releasing the first latch member as the plate member is pivotally moved between first and second positions thereof, second spring means interconnecting said plate member and said first latch member along a line disposed to one side of said pivot axis of'the first'latch member when the plate member is in the second position thereof and when the plate member is in the first position thereof interconnecting said plate and first latch members along a line disposed to the other side of said pivot axis whereby the first latch member is yieldably urged by said second spring means into said cover locking and releasing positions thereof when the plate member is moved respectively into said first and second positions thereof, and a disintegratable element interposed between said first latch member and the cover when the first latch member is in the cover locking position thereof for preventing movement of the first latch member into the cover releasing position thereof until said element has become disintegrated, said cover and first latch member having complementary recesses formed therein for receiving said element.

2. In a torpedo recovery apparatus comprising, a housing adapted to be secured to a torpedo, a

cover hinged to said housing,"said cover having a face, first spring means operatively connected to the cover and the housing for urging said cover to the open position, a latch member pivoted to said cover about an axis generally perpendicular thereto for rotative movement in a plane parallel to the face of said cover, a

keeper on said housing adapted to be engaged by said latch to retain the .cover in the closed position, a recess within the face of said cover adjacent an edge of said latch member when said latch member is in engagement with said keeper, a soluble pellet received by said recess and in abutting relation with the edge of said latch member to retain said latch member in engagement with said keeper, a plate pivotally mounted on said cover, and second spring means interconnecting said plate with said latch, said plate adapted to be pivoted to a position wherein said second spring means urges said latch member to a disengaged position with said keeper whereby upon immersion of the apparatus said soluble pellet dissolves and said second spring means rotates said latch member to a disengaged position with respect to the keeper and said first spring means opens said cover.

3. In a torpedo recovery apparatus comprising, a housing adapted to be secured to a torpedo, a cover hinged to said housing, first spring means operatively interconnecting the cover and the housing for urging said cover to the open position, a keeper on said housing, latch means pivotally mounted on said cover about an axis generally perpendicular thereto and adapted to engage said keeper to retain said cover in a closed position, a soluble pellet disposed on said cover in abutting relation with an edge of said latch means to retain said latch means in engagement with said keeper, a plate provided with an aperture pivoted to said cover, second spring means interconnecting said plate with said latch means, said plate adapted to be pivoted to a position wherein said second spring means urges said latch means to a disengaged position with respect to said keeper and said aperture overlies said soluble pellet whereby upon immersion of the apparatus said aperture admits water to the soluble pellet and upon dissolution thereof said second spring means pivots said latch member to a disengaged position with respect to the keeper and said first spring means opens said cover.

4. In a torpedo recovery apparatus, a housing adapted to be secured to a torpedo, a cover hinged to said housing, first spring'means operatively interconnecting the cover and the housing for urging said cover to the open position, a keeper on said housing, first latch means pivoted to said cover about an axis generally perpendicular thereto, said first latch means being adapted to rotate in a plane parallel to a face of the cover and engaging said keeper to retain said cover in a closed position, a recess within the face of said cover adjacent an edge of said first latch means when said latch means is in engagement with said keeper, a soluble pellet disposed within said recess and adapted to abut the edge of said first latch mean-s, second latch means pivoted to said cover engaging said first latch means to retain said first latch means in a cover locking position, a plate pivoted to said cover, said plate being provided with a stud, said stud abutting said second latch means, second spring means interconnecting said first latch means and said plate, said plate adapted to be pivoted to a po- 'sition wherein said second spring means urges said first latch means to a disengaged position and said stud pivots said second latch means thereby releasing the second latch means from engagement with said first latch means whereby upon immersion of the apparatus said soluble pellet dissolves and said second spring means causes said first latch member to rotate to a disengaged positlon'with respect to the keeper and said first spring means opens said cover.

5. In a torpedo recovery apparatus, a housing having a cover hinged thereto, first spring means interposed between said cover and said housing for urging said cover to the open position, a latch, means pivotally connecting said latch to the cover about an axis generally perpendicular thereto for rotation in a plane parallel to a face of said cover, a keeper on said housing, said latch member engaging said keeper to retain said cover in a closed position, a recess in the face of said cover adjacent an edge of said latch when the latch is in a locking position, a soluble pellet adapted to be disposed within said recess in abutting relation with the edge of said latch whereby the pellet retains the latch in engagement with the keeper, and second spring means operatively interconnected between said latch and said cover urging said latch to a disengaged position with respect to said keeper whereby upon immersion of the apparatus said soluble pellet dissolves and said second spring means releases said latch from engagement with the keeper and said first spring means opens said cover.

6. In a torpedo recovery apparatus, a housing, a cover hinged to said housing, first spring means associated with the cover urging said cover to the open position, a latch member, means pivoting said latch member to said cover about an axis generally perpendicular thereto for rotative movement in a plane parallel to :a face of said cover, a keeper on said housing adapted to be engaged by said latch to retain the cover in a closed position, a soluble pellet mounted on said cover in abutting relation with an edge of said latch member when said latch member is in engagement with said keeper whereby the pellet retains the latch member in engagement with the keeper, and second spring means secured to said latch member for urging said latch member to a disengaged position with respect to said keeper whereby upon immersion of the apparatus the soluble pellet dissolves and said second spring means releases said latch member from engagement with said keeper and said first spring means opens said cover.

CHARLES B. BROWN. EVERETT F. COX. RICHARD MACHENRY. EARL FINKLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,001 Barker Jan. 28, 1902 1,252,877 Barrett Jan. 8, 1918 1,541,683 Buehler June 9, 1925 1,581,314 Herbert H Apr. 20, 1926 1,640,821 Cooks Aug. 30, 1927 1,810,084 Preston June 16, 1931 1,811,241 Morey June 23, 1931 1,824,694 Stave Sept. 22, 1931 2,415,863 Bell et al. Feb. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,785 Great Britain of 1891 19,824 Great Britain of 1892 

